Turning and turning in the widening gyre | The falcon cannot hear the falconer | Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold | Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world | The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere | The ceremony of innocence is drowned | The best lack all conviction, while the worst | Are full of passionate intensity. — W.B. Yeats, The Second Coming

Along with tens of millions around the world, we celebrate the recent action of Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi who hurled two shoes at US President George Bush while shouting, “This is a farewell kiss, you dog! This is from the widows, the orphans, and those who were killed in Iraq.”

We support the calls for al-Zeidi’s immediate release from detention, and denounce his abuse while in custody. And, in a simple gesture of solidarity by local anti-war activists and independent media journalists, we will gather outside the US consulate to hurl shoes in continued opposition to the US occupation of Iraq, as well as the already announced escalation of the US military occupation of Afghanistan by the incoming Obama administration (a continuation of “Operation Enduring Freedom”, launched by George Bush after September 11, 2001).

We also continue to oppose Canada’s complicity with the US-led “War on Terror”, with the Canadian Armed Forces’ military presence in Afghanistan. More Canadian troops in Afghanistan has effectively meant that more American troops have been available to occupy Iraq.

Organized by: Block the Empire-Montreal (a working group of QPIRG-Concordia)
INFO: 514-848-7583 or blocktheempire@gmail.com

After Muthathar al-Zaidi, an Iraqi journalist, threw both his shoes at President George W. Bush during a news conference in Baghdad, the method of protest seems to be gaining popularity in other countries. In Odessa, during the opening ceremony of the Euro Atlantic Cooperation Centre which took place in the South-Ukrainian Pedagogical University, a journalist expressed his protest is a similar way.

Around 100 students were present at the ceremony. Oleg Soskin, a member of the Ukraine-NATO Social League Coordination Council, was making a speech when he was interrupted by a journalist from one of the local TV channels, who shouted: “Students, you’re young and promising, don’t you listen to these stupid and marasmic old homosexuals!” The journalist then took off his boots and threw them at Soskin.

Yes, too bad some do not see the humour and the theatre as well, not that it is unmotivated by serious issues. Just wait until I put a picture up of the shoes I will be using for the demonstration — all dressed up for the occasion, I almost hate to part with them after all the work I put into “beautifying” them!

[…] post, but for now, two videos that I made pertaining to Saturday’s rally in Montreal (see the announcement on this blog), organized by Block the Empire, in solidarity with imprisoned Iraqi journalist, […]

[…] post, but for now, two videos that I made pertaining to Saturday’s rally in Montreal (see the announcement on this blog), organized by Block the Empire, in solidarity with imprisoned Iraqi journalist, […]

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